This proposal requests funds to acquire a high resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometer and associated liquid chromatography system to support the NIH-funded research of investigators at the University of Cincinnati. This new instrumentation is intended to support on- going NIH-funded research into health-related issues such as antibiotic resistance, atherosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases and obesity. Specifically, the following types of analyses will be enabled by this acquisition: a) Metabolic flu measurements to identify key metabolic pathways in cardiometabolic diseases and various cancers; b) Metabolite identification to support identification of metabolic pathways revealed during metabolic flux measurements; and c) metabolomic characterization of lysophospholipid and cholesterol metabolic pathways. A key group of NIH-supported investigators at the University of Cincinnati will directly benefit from these new capabilities. Moreover, these new capabilities will stimulate these researchers and other biomedical investigators on campus to examine additional experiments that will benefit from this instrument. The NIH-funded researchers participating in this request require dedicated LC-MS/MS or high-resolution ESI/APCI-MS/MS capabilities to accomplish goals associated with their funded projects. The PI, who has been active in the field of mass spectrometry for over 20 years, will be responsible for the managerial oversight of the requested instrumentation. He will report to an external advisory board composed of scientists from within the university. The advisory board will establish scheduling priorities, work with the PI and accounting personnel to establish cost-recovery rates, and will serve as a resource for projecting future use of the requested equipment. The equipment will be housed in the University of Cincinnati Mass Spectrometry Facility. This 3,500 sq. ft. facility is equipped with the ancillary instrumentation required for biomolecule characterization. The instrumentation will be operated and maintained by two Ph.D.-level facility staff scientists, with one of these scientists being designated as the primary operator.